Step 7: Conduct Successful Meetings

• Keep Written Records This is handout explains the significance and importance of recording events of each team meeting in a learning log. Share this information with teams before their first meeting, or if they slack off in distributing their team logs.
• This Week's Best Ideas Prepare multiple copies of this handout for each team. This serves as both a response form and a reminder to teams to share their knowledge with others. Teams should decide on their best idea(s) from each meeting and write them on the form.  They can turn this form in to a designated person such as the principal or facilitator at the end of each learning team meeting. These ideas may be duplicated for distribution to all teams, collected for newsletters, or posted in prominent places in the school so students may see teachers modeling real excitement about learning.

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Step 8: Maintain the Momentum

• Feedback Form for Learning Team Logs The most efficient way of communicating with team members on logs is an electronic exchange. Teams would email logs to you and you would respond to them by return email. In many instances, however, you may find yourself providing written feedback to teams. If this is your case, this form provides an eye-catching memo for providing written feedback on logs. These feedback forms are designed for short responses and need to be cut apart before using.
•   Meeting in Progress!  To help teams guard against interruptions while they meet, prepare a copy of this poster for each team.  If possible, print it out in color and laminate before distributing.

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Step 9: Assess Team Progress

Resources for Assessing Professional Development

Joellen Killion, Director of Special Projects at the National Staff Development Council, has written a comprehensive and readable guide to help schools assess the effects of staff development initiatives.  Consider using this book, Assessing Impact: Evaluating Staff Development, to gain additional ideas on how to assess the impact of Professional Learning Teams in your school.

You can order this book and other useful materials from http://store.nsdc.org

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 Step 10: Facilitation 101

• Building Support This information presents suggestions for sharing information about Professional Learning Teams with administrators and community members and enlisting the support of these groups
• Memo Use this form for keeping parents, central office staff, community personnel, and other interested stakeholders informed about the progress of the Professional Learning Team project. Fill this out on a regular basis and send a copy to all stakeholders. You may want to design a memo similar to this one on school letterhead stationary.

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• Build Consensus This procedure provides an effective way of reaching group decisions.

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Articles and Updates

• Professional Learning Communities Tools and Resources

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